Sitting at my computer, sippinā on a protein shake. An e-mail pops up. It went something like this [slightly edited]: āDear most handsomest Karate guy in the whole blogosphere, I have been wondering for a long time why we do some kata techniques in sets of three (3). For example, in some kata...
www.karatebyjesse.com
Things do seem to occur in threes in kata. Not so much as repeating a single technique three times in a row - this is quite rare in the Okinawan kata as a rule. But
series of techniques (designed to deal with specific attacks) are often repeated in threes in both empty hand and weapons kata. Jesse's article expresses a few theories for this.
1. Most people are right handed. If we start with the right side, doing them in threes means that side is practiced twice as much. This seems to make sense, but - getting a few extra moves done in consideration of the attacker's or defender's strong side
pales in comparison to the scores of repetitions of both sides commonly done during drills! This is especially true of single techniques. While the attacker may grab or punch with his right side, it can be defended using either hand, sometimes dependent on the stance or footwork.
2. Three is a mystical number in Oriental culture. I don't know much about that, but I'm guessing that the Okinawan warriors who brought back the art in the 1700 and 1800's and either reworked the kata or wholly devised them themselves, cared more about their fighting application than mysticism.
3. It facilitates transitions within the kata, providing some sort of balanced structure. This possibly make the kata easier and more convenient to do from a geometric spatial point of view.
4. Three is the minimum number to create a numerical series and enables doing the set in a broken rhythm, an important concept in attacking. This kind of thing is seen in kata, if so taught by the particular instructor. (This was taught to me by my first sensei who introduced the concept in our white belt dojo kata and I still employ it at times in numerous kata.)
Another reason might be that three is an easy number to count to and remember. (I've read that birds such as pigeons/chickens can only count to three - not to infer that karate-ka are "bird brained. 822-440-360 is easier to remember than 822440360. Doing things in threes makes it easier to learn the kata.
Some of these reasons make sense to me, others do not. And the main answer may be lost to antiquity. "It's just the way it's done" works for me.
